Contactless tickets in Australian first at State of Origin

Ticketek is to set an Australian first next month when Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium offers contactless ticketing on iPhone and Apple Watch devices.

As part of the roll-out, fans will be able to easily and securely add contactless tickets to their Apple Wallet at a single touch. Upon arrival at the 52,500-seat Suncorp Stadium, supporters will be required to hold their iPhone or Apple Watch to the turnstile’s reader, which uses NFC technology to allow entry into the stadium.

More details of the technology can be found here.

The technology will debut on June 1, when Suncorp Stadium stages a Super Rugby match between the Queensland Reds and the Jaguares. It will also be implemented for the first game of rugby league’s showpiece State of Origin on June 5.

To add further convenience for fans, a push notification will be sent to their device when they arrive at the stadium. It is hoped the initiative will allow for quicker access to tickets and remove the need to stop and scan at turnstiles.

According to Ticketek, Suncorp Stadium will become the first sports and entertainment stadium in Australia to offer contactless tickets on iPhone and Apple Watch.

“The introduction of tap-and-go tickets on iPhone and Apple Watch is a ground-breaking move away from traditional ticketing barcodes and scanning technologies, designed to enhance both customer usability and event operations,” Cameron Hoy, Ticketek’s chief operating officer and head of ticketing, said.

“This is the most personalised, frictionless and secure ticketing experience Ticketek has ever delivered.”

Rod Pilbeam, chief operating officer at AEG Ogden, which operates Suncorp Stadium, added: “We are proud to be the first venue in Australia to offer this innovative technology for our customers through our ticketing partner Ticketek. The contactless benefits extend beyond the turnstile, with fans also able to use Apple Pay to purchase food, drinks and merchandise throughout the stadium.”

Ticketek first launched mobile tickets in 2011 and Australia has since seen a rapid growth in customer adoption of digital tickets. Over 70 per cent of tickets in the country are now delivered electronically, with 41 per cent of these directly to mobiles.